Cadet's death to be probed

WEST POINT — A Department of the Army investigation will determine how freshman Cadet Jacob D. Bower died Thursday.

MICHAEL RANDALL

WEST POINT — A Department of the Army investigation will determine how freshman Cadet Jacob D. Bower died Thursday.

On Friday, unnamed military officials told NBC News they believed Bower was a victim of this week's intensely hot weather, but an autopsy will be needed to say for sure if that's true.

The 18-year-old from Fairmont, W.Va., was found unresponsive while taking part in a training exercise around 6:05 p.m. Thursday. Attempts to revive him were unsuccessful.

Bower was taking part in a land navigation exercise near Camp Buckner, one of West Point's remote training locations. The exercise requires cadets to find points in a wooded area with a compass

Bower arrived at West Point on June 27 as one of 1,250 members of the Class of 2015 and was in the middle of the cadet basic training known as "Beast Barracks."

West Point spokeswoman Theresa Brinkerhoff said it's standard practice to have plenty of water available, not only for cadet training but for all Army procedures, when the weather is as hot as it's been this week, and that was done in this case.

Cadets are issued both canteens and camelbacks — backpack-like devices with rubber interiors that can hold about two quarts of water. Larger stationary containers known as water buffaloes also were available, Brinkerhoff said.

Safety conditions are checked every day, too, Brinkerhoff said, and plans are adjusted accordingly — for example, certain activities can be moved to earlier or later times to avoid the most intensely hot parts of the day.

Bower was a graduate of East Fairmont High School, where he was a member of the National Honor Society and played several sports.

Lt. Gen. David Huntoon, West Point's superintendent, and other West Point leaders went to speak with the cadets, and chaplains and counselors have been made available to any cadets who need to talk about Bower's death, Brinkerhoff said.

Bower's father, Dean, told the Associated Press, "Ever since he's been young, he's wanted to go to the Military Academy and serve his country."

The proud elder Bower had a Facebook page that appeared to be set up exclusively to keep friends and family up to date on Jacob's progress at West Point.

The latest entry informed everyone of Jacob's death.

"Please pray for our family in this dire time of our lives," Dean Bower's post read.